OH I HAD THE BEST DREAM ... but ...

This weeks blog is about remembering your dreams ... not your weekly goals or long-held desires to achieve greatness, I mean the 'I am almost awake and have had a brilliant idea for my blog ... and now it's disappeared in the blink of an eye' dreams. *grin*
So, I thought I would share with you some simple tips for holding onto your dream knowledge so that you can use it.
If you came to my Dream Interpretation class last week you will remember some of these tips ...
1. Make an effort to go to sleep when you are feeling calm. Choose your pre-sleep activities carefully. If you fall into bed exhausted each night, the chance of recalling your dreams is diminished. Turn off the TV. Take time to relax by listening to some calming music or a meditation track (try the subliminal meditations with beach waves from Quiet Earth Publishing - they are fantastic) and drink some lemon and ginger tea.
2. Turn the lights down low. Use the dimmer switch in your living room and bedroom. The brain and body start to switch off when it gets darker. Help yourself unwind, de-stress and you will help your dream recall too.
3. If you have an alarm clock, set it to an easy listening station rather than the usual beeping or loud music. This allows you to gradually wake and remember, rather than shocking your system and losing the dream immediately. I use the Sleep Cycle app on my iPhone to wake up. It also records my sleep patterns and shows me the quality of my sleep.
4. Try to go to bed hydrated. Drink plenty of water before you go to sleep. Sleep studies have shown that the brain cells that affect memory (and all of our cells, in truth) work more effectively when they are hydrated.
5. Don't get too hot while you sleep. Electric blankets and fluffy doonas can inhibit dream recall. If you can live without them or decrease their use, you will be able to remember dreams more clearly and easily.
6. When you wake up, keep a dream journal or small Dictaphone (or iPhone voice memos work too) near your bed to record dream scenarios, themes and symbols. The longer you leave the notation or recording, the less chance there is of remembering it.
Then when you are interpreting your dreams, Leon Nacson (who wrote the book 'Stream of Dreams') suggests that you eliminate everything that can be easily explained such as events related to a TV program you saw. Focus on the most interesting and insightful portions of the dream and record your emotions too. For example, dreaming of a reunion with old school friends may hint that it's time to take a holiday and reconnect with people whose company you enjoy.
Happy dreaming!
Blessings Pip x